Key Concepts in World Philosophies

Crossing continents and traveling through the centuries, Key Concepts in World Philosophies brings together 45 of the core ideas associated with the major Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Islamic, African, Ancient Greek, Indigenous and modern European philosophers. What connects these foundational ideas is the universal theme of transformation: how has each concept sought to change our way of understanding the world we live in or the life we are living? From Chinese xin and karma in Buddhist traditions to okwu in African philosophy and equity in Islamic thought, an international team of experts cover a diverse set of ideas and theories originating from thinkers such as Confucius, Buddha, Dogen, Nietzsche and Zhuangzi. Divided into three sections organised around the major themes of knowledge, metaphysics, and aesthetics, each short chapter provides an introductory overview with contextual background, supported by discussion questions and further reading suggestions. Beginning with an introduction about the need of valuing diversity for navigating the 21st century, this one-of-a-kind study guide allows you to read philosophical texts from all over the world, understand how to practice cross-cultural philosophy and find out how philosophical ideas can be applied to your own life.